KNM-ER 1470

hominid fossil

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July 13, 2026

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KNM-ER 1470 is a fossilized hominin cranium discovered in Koobi Fora, Kenya, near Lake Turkana. This specimen, dated to approximately 1.8 million years ago, was initially considered a new species, Homo rudolfensis, though some scholars now classify it differently. The cranium exhibits features that bear resemblance to Australopithecus but also has characteristics that align with the genus Homo.12

The Koobi Fora region has yielded a significant number of hominin fossils, including species of Australopithecus and Homo, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus. These discoveries, alongside stone tools found at the site, provide crucial insights into early human evolution and the coexistence of different hominin species.12

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Homo habilis
The fossil evidence
…include a controversial skull called KNM-ER 1470 (Kenya National Museum–East Rudolf), which was discovered in 1972 and dated to 1.9 mya. (KNM-ER 1470 was formerly assigned to H. habilis, but most scientists have assigned it to H. rudolfensis.) The specimen resembles both Australopithecus and Homo. As in the case of…
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…include a controversial skull called KNM-ER 1470 (Kenya National Museum–East Rudolf), which was discovered in 1972 and dated to 1.9 mya. (KNM-ER 1470 was formerly assigned to H. habilis, but most scientists have assigned it to H. rudolfensis.) The specimen resembles both Australopithecus and Homo. As in the case of…
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Richard Leakey
…fragments in 1972 (coded as KNM-ER 1470). Leakey believed that the skull represented H. habilis and that this relatively large-brained upright bipedal form of Homo lived in eastern Africa as early as 2.5 million or even 3.5 million years ago. Further elaboration of Leakey’s views was given in his work…
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…fragments in 1972 (coded as KNM-ER 1470). Leakey believed that the skull represented H. habilis and that this relatively large-brained upright bipedal form of Homo lived in eastern Africa as early as 2.5 million or even 3.5 million years ago. Further elaboration of Leakey’s views was given in his work…
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